2008 Woodie Awards
Artist crafts commentary through works of sculpture
SCULPTURE: Student sculptor, Dawn Ertl views art as last bastion of free speech.
By: Alvrez, Wendy
Issue date: 9/15/05 Section: Arts
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Imagine a woman who has an apple as a heart. The apple is rotting and is visible from her front and back.
She is pregnant and her stomach is cut open from the top.
Inside there is bruised Earth and pieces of metal in which you can see yourself. She is painted red, the color of blood.
This is a sculpture, displayed on campus last semester was created by Dawn Ertl, fine arts major, with an emphasis in sculpture, who wants to become a gallery artist.
"I want to become a professional and hopefully make some kind of difference," she said.
Ertl knows what she wants and is working toward it.
"She is really dedicated" and "puts a lot of time into her sculpture," Russell McMillin, art professor, said.
Her earlier art revolved around her emotions, then classroom assignments, and now she wants to address political issues.
"I've done a couple of political type of pieces before; I just want to lean more toward that area instead of just making something pretty," Ertl said.
Concern for the environment is currently one of the political issues that she is tackling in her art.
The woman represents Mother Earth and the rotting apple represents the "mortality of mankind," Ertl said.
"I chose the apple as her heart because I believe the apple symbolizes religion and first sin," she said.
"The apple symbolized the heart of the planet, the beginning of her death and the beginning of mankind's disconcert for her well-being," she said.
The pieces of metal that showed the viewers' reflection were "to show the destruction of our planet is our own fault," Ertl said.
Her work has been displayed on campus and at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Angels Gate.
"I like it a lot," she said about being able to show her work.
"I could have stood in the back forever just watching people's reaction. It was very exciting to see people so interested."
Students react in two ways to her work. They are either "puzzled" or "they get it," McMillin said.
She is pregnant and her stomach is cut open from the top.
Inside there is bruised Earth and pieces of metal in which you can see yourself. She is painted red, the color of blood.
This is a sculpture, displayed on campus last semester was created by Dawn Ertl, fine arts major, with an emphasis in sculpture, who wants to become a gallery artist.
"I want to become a professional and hopefully make some kind of difference," she said.
Ertl knows what she wants and is working toward it.
"She is really dedicated" and "puts a lot of time into her sculpture," Russell McMillin, art professor, said.
Her earlier art revolved around her emotions, then classroom assignments, and now she wants to address political issues.
"I've done a couple of political type of pieces before; I just want to lean more toward that area instead of just making something pretty," Ertl said.
Concern for the environment is currently one of the political issues that she is tackling in her art.
The woman represents Mother Earth and the rotting apple represents the "mortality of mankind," Ertl said.
"I chose the apple as her heart because I believe the apple symbolizes religion and first sin," she said.
"The apple symbolized the heart of the planet, the beginning of her death and the beginning of mankind's disconcert for her well-being," she said.
The pieces of metal that showed the viewers' reflection were "to show the destruction of our planet is our own fault," Ertl said.
Her work has been displayed on campus and at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Angels Gate.
"I like it a lot," she said about being able to show her work.
"I could have stood in the back forever just watching people's reaction. It was very exciting to see people so interested."
Students react in two ways to her work. They are either "puzzled" or "they get it," McMillin said.